Microsoft seems to be moving towards a name change for ‘Office 2016’. They haven’t announced anything directly, but their documentation is changing for Windows and perhaps Office for Mac as well.

If you’re confused, don’t feel bad because Redmond isn’t making it easy. They are moving gradually towards naming Microsoft Office as a service instead of fixed software.

At the moment, there are two current ‘Office 2016 for Windows’ releases.

The ‘fixed’ Office 2016 for Windows for buyers of the perpetual licence / single payment Office 2016 package.

There are no feature changes to this release.

Office 2019 will be the new version of the per licence version of Office, coming later in 2018.

The evolving Office 2016 for Windows sold with Office 365 annual ‘subscription’ packages.

This software gets feature updates on a regular basis.

This version of Office was originally the same as the perpetual licence Office 2016.

It has gradually changed (‘forked’ in nerd speak) to include changed and new features, especially cloud related features like Designer in PowerPoint, Read Aloud/Dictate in Office generally. Office 2016 the real startup guide has chapters detailing the Office 365 updates.

It’s this latter Office 2016 with feature updates that seems to be moving to a name change. Originally Microsoft made no distinction between the two releases but that’s become unsustainable as the two versions diverged.

Office for Office 365

The company seems to have settled on “Office 365” as in “Outlook for Office 365”, “Word for Office 365” etc.